George c



April 16, 1929. c MARTlN I 1,709,359

SHOCK ABSORBER Filed' April 15, 1926 INVENTOR George C Marfirg;

A TTORNE YS.

35 V o u i r tion dlscs were in contact;

Patented Apr. 16, 1929.

-.enonen c. MARTIN, or LOS ANGELES, momm 1 f. HO A Application filedApril 13,

This inventionrelates tosho ck absorbers, and has particularrelation toimprovements in disc shock absorbers. This invention is not directedspecificallyto the disc or clutch type of absorber, but rather toimprovements in certain elements entering into the make-up ofsucha formof shock absorber such as I have-shown and disclosed in my pendingapplications for shock absorbers, Serial No. 17 ,929 filed March 24,1925, 'andSerial No.

32,928,filed MayQG, 1 925. p

'In the different forms of shock absorber of the disc clutch type itbecomes important to properly associate the friction surfaces togetherand so that they will at all times operate with the greatest efficiency.I have "found it expedientto provide fixed discs of jmetalwith movablediscs, therebetween and each movable disc comprises three elements,namely, a metal disc with some friction material on opposite surfaces ofsuch metal disc.

, 1 use [leather as 'such friction material in certain embodiments of myvarious inventions: The problem is to properly unite the leather to thecentral metal disc so that movement of the metaldisc will also move thefriction discs and 'likewiseso that proper lubrication will bemaintained between the friction discs and the fixed metal discs. Aspecific object of my invention is to provide friction discs which maybe united in such a manner as to provide no projections that wouldinterfere with the proper action of such discs onthat would in anymanner contact with any disc with which such fric Another specificobject resides in theprovision of novel means whereby the surfaces ofthe friction discs maybe lubricated.

" The invention has for further objects the provision of an improvedshock absorber which will be superior in point' of relative simplicityand inexpensiveness, takenin confee junction with utility, durabilityand general efficiency and serviceability.

With'the abovefmentionedand other obje'ct sin ,view,tlie inventionconsists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction,association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, allas shown in thedrawing, described generally,

' andfinally pointed out in the claims.

' Inthe drawing:

"Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle frame with its spring and theimproved nease PATENT OFFICE.

nsonnnity 1926. Serial No. 101,613.

shock absorber mounted in connection with a frame and spring forcontrolling movement of such spring;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the shock absorber on anenlargeds'cale from the showing of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the movable discs of theshock ab-j sorber; and,

Figure 4 is a cross sectional View on the line l-l of Figure 3, and 'onan enlarged scale from the showing of Figure Corresponding parts in allthe ligures are designated by the same reference characters. i e

Referring with particularity to .the drawing, I designate the improvedshockab: sorber as a whole by A andone of the movable disc members by B.The shock absorber as a whole is'show'n in Fig. l bolted to a vehicleframe a with a link 1 connecting an arm 2 of such shock absorber with amember 3 associated with the vehicle spring I). U v The presentinvention resides. more particularly in the member B and such memberwill be described first, after which its re-, lation to other elementsof the shock absorber will be detailed. The member B includes a metaldisc 0 adapted to be interposed between two friction discs at and e. Themetal disc 0 acts as a backing or stiffenerfor the discs (5 and e. Thediscs d ankle may be formed of any friction material such as leather orthe like, and as the member B considered as an entirety, in the presentinstance, is adapted to be the member that'is movable relative toso'meother disc member which is fixed, it becomes essential that the discs dande be so united to the disc 0 that tend outwardly from the workingsurface of said discs. If protruding members do so extend, the fixeddisc if it be of metal, will be scored, or at best, the action desiredbetween fixed and'movable discs will be altered; Furthermore, thefriction discs d and 6 would not in and of thems'elvesbe sti'lienough orstrong enough to permit their rotation by some means passedth'erethrough as soon as the were provided with a stiffening means sucas a disc 0, and it therefore becomes essential in the present inventionto so unite thefriction. discsjto the discs 0 that the discs dande berotated as the disc 0 is rotated;

degrees apart. formed with slots 7 which extend from the peripheryofsuch disc and radially inwardly. The numberrof such slots will dependupon use and circumstanceabut in the present In other wordsythere mustbe no creep of the friction disc ordiscs relative to the disc 0.

Accordingly I have deemed it expedient in practicing the presentinvention to provlde a disc as c which maybe formed ofmetal and whichdisc may or may not have a squared central opening a whereby the samemay be mounted upon a square shaft 5. Adapted to be secured on oppositefaces of such disc are the friction discs oi and e which aresubstantially annular in form. The metal disc 0 is formed with one ormore bores 6 which are "preferably equi-distantly spaced apart, the

drawing showing four of such bores 6 ninety Likewlse the said disc 0 1sinstance {011mm provided which are equidi'stantly spaced betweenthebores 6. The discs d and e are placedon opposite sides of the. discoandsothat the peripheries of such discs are in alignment, as shown inFigure 4,

[whereupon the discs, are secured together so that portions'oftheirinner faces are in con tact. This is ELGCOIIIlPllSllQCl by forcing suchdiscs'cl and e through the'bores Gand'then securlng: such d scs when soposit oned by any suitable means such, as metal eyelets f.

:Preferably Y the diameter of each bore 6. is

bores 6, as illustrated at 25 "and 9.

openings nd 16'of said discs. in rti Vlargerelative to the diameter, ofthesecuring means Thus the portion of the discs d and 6 adjacentthebores 6 will be depressed downwardly .and inwardly of the bore or ifmetal eyelets are used as the securing means they aretpreferably ofthinconstruction and likewise of asoft metal and so stamped that theflanged surfaces thereof 10. and 11 arespaced below the outer surfaces12and 13 of the .discs d and e. In addition, the discs (Z and e. areeachprovided with transverse openings '1 5Iand which communicate withthe slots H 7 when the ClISCS are positioned relat ve to the discc.Thus, lubricating fluid may injected into the. said slots? and suchfluid will sprcadoutwardly onto the m rhin it" cos ofu the discs (Z andc by passingv through the liza shock mg a friction-member such asabsorber unit, I have shown in Figure L a shock absorber :whichincl'udesa casing 17 hav ng an annular cover plate member 18, and which casinghas its back wall. 19 pro vided with a stud 20 which is concentricwithin said casing. f This stud acts as asupport'uponwhich is the shaft5.. Thisfshaft is formed with 'a central bore 21 to receive said. stud20' and theshaftis formed with a ,flanged base 22 with the periphery ofsuch shaft formed wvith flat faces 23. In the square in cross section.17 andadapted to hemounted on the said.

present instance the shaft is substantially Within the casing shaft arethe elements B, and interposed between such elements B are fixed discs24, which fixed discs are of greater diameter than the diameter of theelements B, with the said fixeddiscs maintained in a certain positionand against rotation by bolts 251 passed through openings in the saiddiscs and secured to the cover and base of the casing. It is tolie-noted that one of the elements B hasnot doublefaces, that is to say,does not have friction material on both sides of a metal backingi thisbeing shown at 26. This particular member at 26 is adapted to have leafspringarms 27"of a spring member 28' in contact with the disc 0 of suchmember 26 and such member 28 is in engagement with thefiange 22 oftheshaft. The inner surface of the cover 18 acts as one fixed disc againstwhich a friction surface 'is adapted to contact. Other portions of thedevice shown. in Figure '2 will'not be, described except to say that thecasing ITis providedhwith a fitting 29' whereby the interior of saidcasing may be filied'withoil or other lubricatingiiuid. WVheIi the Shaft5 is moved themembers B will beturned and have their friction surfaces.in engagement with the fixed discs 24. An inspection of Figure 2 will.show that only the friction surfaces of the friction discs will contactwith the surfaces of the fixed discs and that the eyelets or otherfastening means willlnot. contact with such surfacesfto innany wayinjure the same. Oilwithinthe casingmay,

whether or not anyfastening means 1 were provided.

. It obvious that Various minor changes and modifications may bemadeinpracticing the invention, in departure from thepar ticular showing ofthefdrawingywithout departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thusQdisclosed my invention, 1

claim and desire to secure byLe'tters Patent:

1. In shock absorber construction, ametal disc formed with a ho'reftwo.friction discs on opposite sides of .-said' metal discs, said frictiondiscs adjacent said bore in the metal disc beingforcedintocontactwithiii said bore, and means for maintainingsaid frictiondiscs in, contact within said here; said-means comprising a metal eyeletpassed through said friction discs and having end flanges for grippingsuch friction discs, saidaend flanges beingspaced from anew-race of thefriction discs surrounding said bore in bore thereof within the bore ofthe metal the metal disc. disc and in such a manner that passage is 2.In a shock absorber, a metal disc formed effected through the bore ofthe friction disc. 10 with a bore, a friction disc formed with a Intestimony whereof, I have signed my 5 bore of lesser diameter than thebore of the name to this specification.

metal disc, and means for maintaining the portion of the friction discsurrounding the GEORGE C. MARTIN.

